The Editor Known as Mr. Deathrealm. Author of The House at Black Tooth Pond, Blue Devil Island, Dark Shadows: Dreams of the Dark (with Elizabeth Massie), and many others. Feed at your own risk. Note: Stephen Mark Rainey is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for the author to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com.
The new, revised edition of Balak is now available from Crossroad Press/Macabre Ink in ebook and paperback. (The audiobook is the original version.)
"This revised edition of Stephen Mark Rainey’s first novel,
Balak (originally written in 1992), offers a cleaner version of the text and
includes some alterations to unify it with numerous other works that define
the author’s unique, four-decade-old mythos."
About Balak...
Two years ago, Claire Challis’s four-year-old son disappeared without a trace.
Now, on a cold winter morning, a neighbor’s child vanishes outside her
apartment. The subsequent police investigation turns up no clues.
Claire encounters a strange priest. An ancient church that seems to be the
site of unspeakable rituals. A shadowy figure that seems to appear and
disappear at will. And now, Claire finds herself at the center of a web of
intrigue—and in fear for her life. Still, she is determined to learn the truth
behind the abductions and learn once and for all the fate of her missing son.
As she delves deeper and deeper into the mystery, Claire realizes that her
quest may lead her not to the truth she seeks, but to a place of madness,
horror, and agony beyond her wildest imaginings.
The production work on the new, revised edition of my first novel,
Balak, has been completed, so I'm anticipating the book release in the very near
future. This will be an ebook and paperback release; the
audiobook
is available from Crossroad Press, though it's the original version.
The legendary M. Wayne Miller has provided the artwork, and I'm
thrilled with it.
I had posted a few details about this release in my May 16 blog entry, "New, Revised Edition of Balak in the Pipe," and as soon as I have any ordering information, I will of course share it
here, there, and everywhere.
Also, it's kinda nice when I see this sort of thing on social media. One of
Ms. B.'s friends found The House at Black Tooth Pondat her local library and was kind enough to shared it online. Huzzah!
Back in 1992, after having spent several years writing exclusively short fiction,
I buckled down and wrote my first novel,
Balak. My agent at the time very quickly found a mass-market publisher who was interested
in the book, and for a while, it looked like its publication was in the bag. Unfortunately,
before I even signed the contract — as so frequently happens in the publishing
business — the imprint that would have launched Balak went the ways of the wind, leaving the novel without a home. Sometime
afterward, though,
Wildside Press, a much smaller but prolific and respected publishing house, picked up the
novel, and released it in 2000 (for reasons unknown,
Amazon.com
shows Balak's publication date as 2003, but that is incorrect), along with my short fiction collection,
The Last Trumpet.
Recently, I've had a mind to do something more with the book because
the character, Balak (whom I appropriated from the Bible), has played a significant
role in a number of my works of fiction — including a very new one. Since Wildside Press has had the rights to the book for... OMG, twenty-six years (and has done very well with it, I'm pleased to say)... I decided to reclaim the paperback and ebook rights (Crossroad Press has the audiobook rights, and it is currently available), revise it so that it reads less like the inaugural outing of a very green novelist, and repackage it. The first step is complete, and I have also secured the rights an apt piece of art by the incomparable M. Wayne Miller, whose work adorns several of my book covers as well as numerous stories I published in Deathrealm magazine back in the day. Note that the cover image above is a dummy I created with Wayne's art; it is subject to change.
The long and short of it is that I am currently in the revision process, and once it's all done, Crossroad Press will release the new paperback and ebook editions (the audiobook will remain the original). I anticipate having this all in the bag in the next couple of months, so it will hopefully to precede the release of Broken Barriers, which is also in the pipe.
So, I hope this will be cause for celebration and that you unfortunate souls who were exposed to the original product will avail yourself of the new edition rather than go the rest of your lives wondering what the hell was wrong with that peculiar young writer.*
*Now, you may rightly wonder what the hell is wrong with that peculiar old writer.
The Gods of Moab is a novella I wrote in 2012, and since then it's
been available only as an ebook. I've had enough queries over the years about
whether I might consider releasing it as a paperback that I finally decided to
just jump in and do it. So... 'tis here!
"A pleasant New Year's Eve outing becomes an experience in otherworldly
horror when two close-knit couples discover a shocking secret in the darkest
corners of the Appalachian mountains. At an opulent mountain inn, Warren
Burr, his fiancee, Anne, and their friends, Roger and Kristin Leverman,
encounter a religious zealot named John Hanger, who makes it his business to
bear witness to them of his peculiar... and disturbing... faith. His efforts
rebuffed, Hanger insidiously assumes control of the couples' technological
devices, leading them to stumble into unexpected, surreal
landscapes... landscapes inhabited by nightmarish beings that defy
explanation and rationality. To return to the world they thought they knew,
Warren and his friends must not only escape the deadly entities that pursue
them but somehow stop John Hanger's nightmare-plague from spreading to the
outside world."
The Gods of Moab is a frightening novella by Stephen Mark Rainey,
acclaimed author of Balak, Blue Devil Island,
Other Gods, The Nightmare Frontier, and editor of the
award-winning Deathrealm magazine and best-selling
Deathrealm: Spirits anthology.
"After devouring The Gods of Moab in one short sitting, this novella
has not only become my favorite work by the author, it has become one of
my favorite reads of the year. Rainey balances his supernatural frights with
the natural, and it works beautifully. From the first page to its mind-bending
final sentences, The Gods of Moab will have readers wide-eyed and
enthralled." —TTZuma, HorrorWorld
Back in high school, inspired by my love of miniature sets in the monster
movies of the day, I constructed a model city of cardboard and miscellaneous
scrap material on a roughly 3' x 4' section of drywall. I made all kinds of
buildings, tiny cars, telephone poles (out of broom straw), electrical towers
(also of broom straw), road signs...all manner of details in tiny scale. I
owned a few custom-made monster figures — Godzilla, Rodan,
Angilas, and Damiron (a critter from one of my early short
stories, titled "Night of the Firebeast") made by my friend
Bill Gudmundson, and the city made a great display setting. At one
point, I caught a large praying mantis, which I set loose in the miniature
streets. It seems like I took some photos at the time, but if I did, they are
apparently long gone.
For my age and skill level, the mini metropolis was a reasonably accomplished
effort, but it wasn't long before I found it wanting. So I set it on fire.
That part was fun, and I decided that, someday, I'd devote time and energy to
constructing a new, far superior miniature city.
Well, it didn't happen right away. Almost twenty years later — 1992, to
be exact — during an extended hiatus for Deathrealm magazine (a
result of being laid off from my job), I found myself with more time than
money. So, between job hunting and writing fiction (I also wrote my first
novel,
Balak, during that period), I set to work constructing a new miniature city. This
one was smaller than the original — I built it on a 2.5-foot square of heavy
cardboard — but considerably more elaborate. I planned it meticulously,
designed fairly complex buildings, many with semi-detailed interiors visible
through windows made of acetate sheets. There were tiny cars, trucks, parking
meters, traffic lights, even wires strung from the myriad broom straw power
poles. I used many of the same type of materials as the original little city —
cardboard, bristol board, broom straw, plaster of Paris, faux foliage from
hobby shops... any kind of scrap I could turn into miniature city features. I spent most of year on the project. And looking back, it turned out to be a pretty fair piece of work. I displayed it
proudly for a long, long time — often with one or more daikaiju figures
towering over its streets and buildings.
Over the years, though, the delicate structures began to deteriorate. Roofs
occasionally collapsed, walls came apart, signs fell... and layers of dust
accumulated two cars deep in places. It truly looked like the setting of some
low-budget post-apocalyptic film.
And now, with Brugger moving in, space at a premium, and massive remodeling
happening at Casa de Rodan, it just seemed like the old city had gone too far
past its prime. So, last night, after a long bout with making room for new
flooring throughout the house, Brugger and I took the old thing out back and
set the match to it.
I have to admit it was kind of tough letting go, considering how much time, effort, and
creativity I had put into it, but at least there are pics. And the conflagration is
documented on video. Here it is in all its fiery splendor.
STARTING TODAY—12/31/2020—and running for the next SEVEN DAYS, you can pick up my novella, The Gods of Moab, for your Kindle at the special discounted price of 99¢ (regular price $2.99).
A
pleasant New Year's Eve outing becomes an experience in otherworldly
horror when two close-knit couples discover a shocking secret in the
darkest corners of the Appalachian mountains. At an opulent mountain
inn, Warren Burr, his fiancee, Anne, and their friends, Roger and
Kristin Leverman, encounter a religious zealot named John Hanger, who
makes it his business to bear witness to them of his peculiar... and
disturbing... faith. His efforts rebuffed, Hanger insidiously assumes
control of the couples' technological devices, leading them to stumble
into unexpected, surreal landscapes... landscapes inhabited by
nightmarish beings that defy explanation. To survive, Warren and his
friends must not only escape the deadly entities that pursue them but
somehow stop John Hanger's nightmare-plague from spreading to the
outside world.
“The Gods of Moabis a chilling novella of Lovecraftian horror by Stephen Mark Rainey, acclaimed author of Balak, Blue Devil Island, Other Gods, The Nightmare Frontier, Dark Shadows: Dreams of the Dark(with Elizabeth Massie), and former editor of the award-winning Deathrealm Magazine.”
STARTING TODAY — 1/1/19—and running for the next sevendays, you can pick up my novella, The Gods of Moab, for your Kindle at the special discounted price of 99¢ (regular price $2.99).
A pleasant New Year's Eve outing becomes an experience in otherworldly horror when two close-knit couples discover a shocking secret in the darkest corners of the Appalachian mountains. At an opulent mountain inn, Warren Burr, his fiancee, Anne, and their friends, Roger and Kristin Leverman, encounter a religious zealot named John Hanger, who makes it his business to bear witness to them of his peculiar... and disturbing... faith. His efforts rebuffed, Hanger insidiously assumes control of the couples' technological devices, leading them to stumble into unexpected, surreal landscapes... landscapes inhabited by nightmarish beings that defy explanation. To survive, Warren and his friends must not only escape the deadly entities that pursue them but somehow stop John Hanger's nightmare-plague from spreading to the outside world.
"The Gods of Moabis a chilling novella of Lovecraftian horror by Stephen Mark Rainey, acclaimed author of Balak, Blue Devil Island, Other Gods, The Nightmare Frontier, Dark Shadows: Dreams of the Dark(with Elizabeth Massie), and former editor of the award-winning Deathrealm Magazine."
STARTING TODAY — 12/29/17 — and running for the next five days, you can pick up my novella, The Gods of Moab, for your Kindle at the special discounted price of 99¢ (regular price $2.99).
A pleasant New Year's Eve outing becomes an experience in otherworldly horror when two close-knit couples discover a shocking secret in the darkest corners of the Appalachian mountains. At an opulent mountain inn, Warren Burr, his fiancee, Anne, and their friends, Roger and Kristin Leverman, encounter a religious zealot named John Hanger, who makes it his business to bear witness to them of his peculiar...and disturbing...faith. His efforts rebuffed, Hanger insidiously assumes control of the couples' technological devices, leading them to stumble into unexpected, surreal landscapes...landscapes inhabited by nightmarish beings that defy explanation and rationality. To return to the world they thought they knew, Warren and his friends must not only escape the deadly entities that pursue them but somehow stop John Hanger's nightmare-plague from spreading to the outside world.
"The Gods of Moabis a chilling novella of Lovecraftian horror by Stephen Mark Rainey, acclaimed author of Balak, Blue Devil Island, Other Gods, The Nightmare Frontier, Dark Shadows: Dreams of the Dark(with Elizabeth Massie), and former editor of the award-winning Deathrealm Magazine."
STARTING TODAY — 12/29/16 — and running for the next six days, you can pick up my novella, The Gods of Moab, for your Kindle at the special discounted price of 99¢ (regular price $2.99).
A pleasant New Year's Eve outing becomes an experience in otherworldly horror when two close-knit couples discover a shocking secret in the darkest corners of the Appalachian mountains. At an opulent mountain inn, Warren Burr, his fiancee, Anne, and their friends, Roger and Kristin Leverman, encounter a religious zealot named John Hanger, who makes it his business to bear witness to them of his peculiar...and disturbing...faith. His efforts rebuffed, Hanger insidiously assumes control of the couples' technological devices, leading them to stumble into unexpected, surreal landscapes...landscapes inhabited by nightmarish beings that defy explanation and rationality. To return to the world they thought they knew, Warren and his friends must not only escape the deadly entities that pursue them but somehow stop John Hanger's nightmare-plague from spreading to the outside world.
"The Gods of Moabis a chilling novella of Lovecraftian horror by Stephen Mark Rainey, acclaimed author of Balak, Blue Devil Island, Other Gods, The Nightmare Frontier, Dark Shadows: Dreams of the Dark(with Elizabeth Massie), and former editor of the award-winning Deathrealm Magazine."
